The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1887-09-14
THE MENHADEN INDUSTRY
A FISH WHICH IS TURNED INTO
FERTILIZER.
How Whole Schools OF Menhadel
Are Entrapped and Made Into
Product For Farmers Use.

Product For Farmers Use.
Fstback, menhaden or mossbunker
none Of them particularly pretty names
nevertheless represent fish of consider
able value in other ways than for food.
All along the Atlantic coast, from NeN
England to Cape Fear, roam immens
schools of menhaden, and much capita
is employed and many a man makes hi
bread and meat in the capture and sub
sequent treatment of these fish.
Not estimated for food, the fatback i
valuable in his proper sphere and his
chief use is to replenish the earth and
cause it TO multiply. To do this he has
first to be caught and then made into a
fertilizer.
Up Core Sound, just above Cart Isl,
and, stands several factories devoted en-.
tirely to the manufacture of fish scrap
and oil, and here we find the whole pro
cess going on.
But before examining into the deta i
Of manufacture we want to see how the
fish are caught. OFF in the channel are
lying several sloops and small schooners,
some just leaving their anchorage and
the others waiting, with their sails set,
for a little more wind and the turn of the
tide. In the dock, with steam up, one OF
the steamers employed in the business,
and we jump aboard just as the lines are
cast off and she heads down the sound.
Astern tow the two boats tied together,
and each containing one-half of the purse
seine, of which more hereafter.
The first school is sighted soon after
the bar is crossed and we steam as near
as is prudent, anchor and prepare to
take them in. The fish seem mostly to
swim near enough the surface of the
water to be readilyEdiscernible at a CON
siderable distance, but do not jump like
blucfish, mullet and Spanish mackerel.
This school, we are told, is only OF
ordinary size, although it appears to us to
cover at least a couple Of acres. The boats
are hauled up and the men tumble in and
paddle off to where the thousands OF
menhaden are lying almost motionless on
the surface. Going quietly, so as not tc
disturb the fish, they reach the outskirts
of the schos and start off in different
directions, the seine sliding overheard
oyer the stern of each as they move apart
The net is not long enough to take then
all in, but when the boats meet in theil
circle round a goodly portion of the schoo
! is inclosed within the meshes. The endl
! are overlapped, the net pursed together
at the bottom and the crews proceed t,
scoop up the captives with capacious diI
nets. From the boats they are transfer
red to the steamer and dumped into he
hold. She is fitted with mast and yarC
for hosting, thus economizing time anC
labor in the transfer. We did not coun
the number of fish hoised aboard iron
that one haul but it was many a thous
and.
Several more schools are sighted, an,
in nearly every case a large number arr
captured and go to swell the glistenin
heaps in the steamers hold
Finally the captain gives orders t.
cease fishing for the day, the boats ar
made fast astern and our PROV is turne
for the channel across the bar. A flag
run up on the mast when we are throug
the inlet as a signal to the people ashor
that we are well loaded, and soon W
bring up in the dock adjoining tn
factory. Here we find that our flag hG
been observed and all hands are ready
go to work on the cargo. The hoistin
engine is soon boy running the fish u
to the top of the building, this bein
done to facilitate all future handling {
the material, each succeeding proce'
occupying the same floor with, or floC
below the preceding one, and thus, afte
the fish are once in the factory, the
course is always down never up.
The big cooking tanks receive theI
first, where they are steamed unit
thoroughly cooked and softened, so tina
when they reach the hydraulic pressC
the extraction of the oil will be easy
On leaving the latter, the scrap, no'
free from the oil, is pulled to pieces ant
transferred to the drying board, whic
covers several acres of ground, and whe
the sun and air have done their duty j
drying it is in the condition in which
appears on the market.
From the abundance of its ammoni
it is considered a valuable fertilizer an
has ready sale, great portion of tn
product being shipped to the North.
The capacity of each of these factoriC
is from SEQ to 600 barrels of fish per da
SO it will be seen that many a fatbac
has to give up the ghost to keep thel
running at their full cappcity, Beside
the catch of their own vessels they bu
large quantities from the fishermen of IL
sound, but, in spite of the number
annually used here, no diminution is pc
ceptible in the quantity that each yea
visit the coast.
The menhaden belongs to the herrin
and shad family and is very similar
appearance to the well-known herring
ale-wife, but is somewhat larger.
The course of these fish seems to be il
variably from the North when they a
rive and they return in the same directiC
when their Southern tour is over, A
though the run is variable in its eXtel
they never fail TO come in cOnsideTab
quantities some time from June to ID
cember. Occasionally they appear
such numbers that the factories cann
handle their catch and another year th'
may not be able to get enough fish
keep them running more than half tim
but altogether the industry is a tlourisl
ing one. .-DetrOit Free Press.